Nominate Small Businesses for SBA’s 2025 National Small Business Week Awards

August 21, 2024

Delaney Sexton
Contributing Editor

Nominate Small Businesses for SBA’s 2025 National Small Business Week Awards

“From corner shops to innovation hubs, American entrepreneurs create jobs, invent and provide crucial products and services to their communities, and help define the neighborhoods they serve,” says Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman.“The SBA is proud to celebrate National Small Business Week each year to lift up the best of that American entrepreneurial spirit and recognize the many essential contributions all of our small businesses make to our nation.”

SBA opened nominations for the 2025 National Small Business Week (NSBW) Awards. This is an opportunity to recognize the achievements, contributions, and resilience of individuals and businesses that SBA assisted. To nominate a small business owner in your area and download related forms, criteria, and guidelines, visit sba.gov/nsbw. All nominations must be submitted electronically by 4 p.m. ET on Dec. 5, 2024. National awards will be presented during the NSBW awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 4- 5, 2025. 

The signature award is the Small Business Person of the Year award. A business owner from each of the 50 states, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam will be selected to win the State Small Business Owner of the Year awards. The owners selected for the state awards will then compete for the 2025 National Small Business Person of the Year title.

Nominations will be accepted for the following award categories:

  • Small Business Exporter of the Year
  • Small Business Investment Company of the Year
    • SBIC Emerging Manager
    • SBIC Established Manager
  • Phoenix Awards for Disaster Recovery:
    • Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery
    • Phoenix Award for Small Business Disaster Recovery – Mitigation
    • Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery, Public Official
    • Phoenix Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disaster Recovery, Volunteer
  • Federal Procurement Awards:
    • Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year
    • Small Business Subcontractor of the Year
    • Dwight D. Eisenhower Awards for Excellence (for large prime contractors who use small businesses as suppliers and contractors)
    • 8(a) Graduate of the Year
  • Awards to SBA Resource Partners:
    • Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Excellence and Innovation Center Award
    • S.C.O.R.E. Chapter of the Year
    • Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award
    • Veterans Business Outreach Center of the Year
  • Surety Bond Agent of the Year

Source:
SBA Press Release